The Curragh winds up for the year today with a card that is only a shadow of some of the glories seen earlier this season. Nevertheless, it provides seven winning opportunities, and Aidan O'Brien's Ballyellery looks set to take up one of them.
After three less-than-inspiring efforts, Ballyellery ran in a Nursery at Navan last week and put up a significantly improved effort, especially so since the winner of that Navan contest, Kincara Palace, went on to win the Group 3 Killa vullan Stakes at Leopardstown on Monday.
Ballyellery was noted running on especially well into third at Navan over what looked an inadequate five furlongs, and just missed out on catching Dress Design for second. Today's extra furlong should suit ideally, as will the weight that promising apprentice Colm O'Donoghue takes off Bally ellery's back, and the combination are napped to account for Suzy Street and Christy Senior.
Niall McCullagh has ridden 21 winners so far this season and can add to that with a double through Alonzo and Tinker Amelia.
Alonzo was a hot market order on his last run at Cork, but came seriously unstuck and finished only fourth behind Super Sonic Sonia. That winner has run well since, as has the third, Musk Lime, and it could be that the good impression Alonzo created when recovering from a slow start at the Curragh in September may not be that far wrong. Charles O'Brien's horse looks worth a second chance.
Tinker Amelia has had a fine season already but also came unstuck last time when only fourth to Just Like Annie at Navan. Tin- ker Amelia also started a warm favourite on that occasion, but, for a filly who usually likes to make a late run, she saw a lot of daylight and with more restraint today could reverse that Navan form.
Lady Oranswell bids to extend her remarkable winning run in handicaps in the Curragh Carpets Handicap, but although she won at Galway over the weekend, it's hard to imagine Lady Oranswell making it five on the trot. King Of Peace, who ran well enough at Leopardstown on Monday behind Bailiwick Frontier, is preferred.
Jim Bolger's Amrivati faces a number of newcomers in the Shelbourne Fillies Race, but it will take a decent debutant to beat her.
Thunderpoint could be set for a big future after a winning debut over hurdles at Sedgefield.The gelding had looked potentially useful when placed in two of his four starts in National Hunt Flat races for Tim Easterby.And he took to jumping like a natural, flooring odds-on favourite Country Orchid by two lengths in qualifier of the EBF `National Hunt' Novices Hurdle (Qualifier).
